Engine-starter.



G. NI. WILLIS.

ENGINE SIARIE'R," APPIICATIONFIIEDsgELII.1913.

Patented Nov. 13, 1.917.

4 SHEETS- SHEET1.

Y capable of longitudinal movement upon its CII 'of in'sulatin' material is secured shaft. It will be seen, however, that the longitudinal movement of which the disk capable will permit that disk to be moved into'faceto-face contact `with 'the' disk, 34, andthe means by which thisl operation is secured willfloe described presently.

The face of the disk e is provided with an annular' groove 35 in which a coil 36, of

properly insulated wire, is disposed. On the y magnctize'd and attracts the opposite disk in the manner of the operation of an armature. lin order to connect the energizing 'winding 36 in the circuit, each of the rings 38 and 39 has 4coperating therewith a brush Ll0 which slides on the surface of the respecv tive ring when the disk rotates with the motor shaft. Fach brush i0 is supported in a bracket 11, and leads 42 and 4:3 from the motor circuit are provided in connection with the respective brushes. It will be seen that l have opened the motor circuit between one of the field windings and' one of the commutator brushes and have electrically inserted the winding 36 therein.

A storage battery Lift is provided vand the generator terminals are connected with the terminals -it5 and i6 of this storage battery by means of conductors 47 and 48 respectively. is also connected with the terminal 15 by means of a `conductor 49, through a switch 50, which I have illustrated diagrammatically and which -is intended to represent any conception of a switch, since my invention is not concerned with the particular and specific construction Aof this device. The other terminal of the motor circuit is connected with the terminal 46 of the storage battery by means of a conductor 51.

The switch 50 is normally open. l/Vhen the engine is running in its regular operation the movement of the fly-wheel 28 is transmitted to the pulley 27 and to the generator shaft. The generator is operated for the purpose of charging the storage battery 44. lt will be remembered that in this condition the clutch members 30 and SLL are separate, as illustrated in Fig. 1., Let it be assumed, therefore, that the bafttery lll is charged.

When it is desired to startl-the engine from a condition of rest, the switch 50 is closed and the battery voltage is thrown onto the motor terminals. Since the inertia of the motor armature delays its response to @ne terminal of the motor circuit' thev attraction ofthe motor fields, there will be a large and unrestricted flow of current through the magnetic clutch winding 36.

rllluis will immediately attract the clutch disk 30, which has but a very short distanceA to move, and the armature of the motor is further loaded by the resulting mechanical connection of the generator and the engine. However, the motor armature responds eventually,.(l say eventually, since it is evcntually, analytically, although, as a matter of time, the period is extremely short), and be gins to rotate and, since the clutch disks are `now in firm Contact, carries the pulley 27 with it and, consequently, turns the fly-wheel. of the engine. 1t is assumed, of course, that thevengine conditions are such that the turning of the fly-wheel will result in the start ing thereof, as is well-known in the art, and', when the engine has developed its own movement, the load is removed from the motor shaft and, due to the inductive effect of the rotating armature, a counter-electromotive force of relatively high value is de-v veloped in the motor circuit. The result is a prompt drop in the current and a corre* spending reduction in the attractive etl'ect of the clutch disk 34. Consequently, the clutch disk SOis released from the clutch diskel and the function of the motor has been performed. The spring 32 isprovided to insure the separation of the clutch disks and, after the engine is started, the switchv 'to the response of the motor armature, is

not suflicent to release the clutch, when the engine takes hold the motor armature will not only be relieved of its load, but it will be operated by the engine faster than it would operate itself (due to the engine. speed) and it is there operated as a gener ator armature and the counter-electromotive force will be all the more pronounced to the extent of reversing the current in the clutch to effect the release of the clutch` with certainty.

ln Fig. 2 I have illustrated an arrange ment similar to Fig. 1, except that l have taken the precaution to provide special means for` keeping the motor ,armature at rest until the clutch is closed, so as to insure the presence of sufficient current to compel the catching of the clutch. I have provided the analogous parts in Fig. 2 with the same 1 reference characters as in Fig. 1, and it will be seen that on the hack of the clutch disk -30 I provide an insulating disk 52, upon which l mount a short-circuiting ring with which two spring brushes 54 and are normally in contact. These brushes are insulated from each other and are' operated in a bracket 56 extending frqrfn'the motor casing. One of these brushes is connected with one of the brushes of the motor coinmutator and the other brush is connected with the other brush of the motor commutator. When the clutch disk 30 is in its retracted position, the motor armature is thus sliort-circuited and it cannot respond until the short-circuit has -been opened.` The s ring brushes 54 and 55 are so arranged tliat they will follow and-4 keep in contact with thering, 53 until just before the disk 30 has come into rm mechanical engagement with the disk 34;. lThe final movement of the disk 30 in its attraction to the disk 34, results in the separation of the brushes from the ring and the armature is then free to respond; The building up of the coun-` ter-electro-niotive force is, therefore, de-

layed and by the time' suiiicient counterelectro-motive force has been developed to cause the release of the clutch, the engine is well under way. l

InlT ig. 3- I illustrate anotherarrangenient. Here the clutch disk 30a is securely mounted upon the generator shaft, while the clutch disk 34 is capable of slight longitudinal 'movement on the motor shaft, al-

thoughl it always rotates therewith. Under normal conditions the separation of the clutch disks is insured by means of a spring 5?', which is disposed in a pocket' in the end of the Agenerator shaft and which abuts against an axially disposed ball 58 resting in a slight depression 59 in the disk 34a. The axial location of this ball is desired to eliminate any turning moment on the spring. The electrical operation of this modified structure is the saine as described with refsprings 60, 60, and these springs bear down on the rings 38 and 39 heavily enough to. place a comparatively heavy load on 'the ,motor armature until the clutch 34a has been brought into firm mechanical contact with the clutch 30a. Of course, the spring 57 is of greater strength than the springs 60, 60. The springs 60, 60 continue to bear heavily upon the rings u ntil just before the clutch catches, when substantially all of their effect is removed. In this way the building l up of the counter-electro-motive force to cut down the current to release the Aclutch is certainly delayed until the engine is under way.

In'F ig. ll the arrangement is the same as in Fig. 8, except that instead of providing springs 60,' 60 in direct association with the brushes 40, d0, separate springs 61, y61 are i Each of. thesprings 6l operates against the head 62- provided for the same purpose.

movement in response to the springs is ar' 'rested'just before or just at the time the two disks are in contact. This is accomplished by the means illustrated in Fig. 5, where it fui will be seen that the plunger carries a pin 64 which operates in the cylinder 65 eirtending from the motor frame. rangement is such that the pin reaches the end of the slot at the time just referred to. rl`he exteriors of the cylinders 65, 65 are` screw-threaded for the reception of. adjusting nuts 66, whereby the tension of the springs is adjusted.

In Fig. 6 I have shown a modified forni of clutch disk in which the slot containing the energizing winding, instead of being annular, is spiral, as illustrated at 67. This arrangement secures somewhat more e'cctive.

magnetization.

In Fig. 7, I have illustrated a structural arrangement of the motor and generator which is similar to that of Fig. l, exceptI connected together and to a sprocket car- A ri'ed with the fly-wheel in theinanner illustrated in Fig. 9.

In Figs. 10 and ll, I have illustrated still another arrangement. In this structure the motor is superimposed upon the' generator and the gears of the two units are mechanically connected by an idler (i8, the genera.- toi' being provided with. a sprocket connected with the sprocket on the fly-wheel. lhis arrangement is especially desirable because any speed relation between the motor and generator shafts may be had.

I show these various arrangements to illustrate the -flexibility of the structure of my invention and to instruct those sln'lled in the art how to best avail themselves of the space which they may have forthe setting of an engine starter in an automobile, for instance, wherein my invention will probably ind its most popular employment. i

In Fig. l2 I have illustrated a inodiiietl arrangement which inay'be applied to Fig. 1. The other parts are the saine as illustratedin Fig. vl, but it will be seen that the switch 50 is controlled by a spring 75 ncr- 21.*

nially operating to hold the switch off its contact. An electro-magnet Z6 is inserted in the conductor .4.49 and the core of this electro-magnet, when energized, is adapted to hold the switch arm 50 in engagement ril:

vits Contact. lt Will noW beseentliat it tbe switch is closecl'-manually, it will `be entomatically locked in position by the energize" tion ofthe electro-magnet. When theclrop in the current occurs., as heretofore described, the. electr-@magnet will release the switch .l arm and the clutch motor circuit Will be "openeot The core of the electro-magnet may be polarized to make. the action. more ,provnouneed and the additional eect of the counter-electro-m0t1ve force 1s void here, as

heretofore described With referencev to the clutch coil.;

In-vFig. `131l Ihave illustrated an arrangement Whereinthe end of the motor frame 12 is. facedrof'pand the rotary disk 34h of the clutch is placed in very close juxtaposition to the'motorframe. In this Way the magnetic effect of jthe -ielcl frame of the motor is transmitted to the clutch member Sli-b and it is energized at the time the circuit is closed, just as if it were provided with a Winding, as previously. described. Such energization draws up the clutch member 30 to operatively connect the motor with the engine.

l/Vhat ll claim as new and. desire to secure by 4Letters Patent is:

l. In combination, an engine, a series- Wound direct-current electric motor, a ro tary member normally disconnected from said motor but connected to the engine, and. an electroinagnetically-operated clutch for operatively connecting said motor and said rotary member, the energizing Winding. of the clutch being included in the motor eircuit and said engine being adapted to operate the armature of said motor at such speed that the counter-electroinotive 'force will exceefl the applied electromotive torce to effect reversalof current in said clutch to release it.

Q. ln combination, an engine, a serieswouncl direct-current electric motor, a rotary member normally disconnected. from said motor but connected to said engine, tn

electr@magnetically-operated clutch for operatively connecting-said. motor and said retary member, the energizing winding of the clutch being incluclecl'in the motor circuit,

intensive enel4 means 'for reversing tbe current in salti ce clutch to cause its release.

3. fin a starting mechanism, the combine tion "Witle nriengine member, an electric mon tor, and a member connected to said motor for coaeting'with the engine member', of an electromagnet for controlling the second member, a switch for controlling the motor and the eleetromagnet, and means for temporarily retarrling the operation of saitl me tor upon the closing of said switch to com plete the normelcircuit oit said motorn 4.. lin a starting mechanism, the combinan tion with 'an' engine member7 an electric motor, and a member for operatively connecting said motor to saicl engine member, ofmeans in circuit with. the motor :tor controlling the engagement or. said motor mem- 'ber with the engine member,-ancl means for temporarily modityingthe operation of the motor uponl theclosure or' its normal circuit.

5. ln a starting mechanism, the combina tion With an engine member, an electric motor, and a, member for operatively connecting said motor to seid engine member, of means in series with the motor for controlli'ng the engagement of said motor member with the engine member, and. ineens for 'temporarily modifying the operation of the motor upon the closure ofA its .normal circuit.

In a starting mechanism, the eotion with Van engine member, an elecric motor, and a member 'for operatively conf neeting said motor to saitl engine mcmlier, of.' menne in series with. the motor iior control ling the engagement of stiel motor member with `the engine member, and means porci-ily modifying the operation or tor upon the closure of its rffiual circuit in order to prevent relative ro we movement ol said members While their engagement being eftectecl.

ln Witness whereof, l' bereimto subscribe my nome this 6th day of September, e.. D. 1918.

the mol/Vitnesses 2 ALBIN C. AHLBERG, AUGUST H. Annen 

